How much longer can Cesc Fabregas put up with the mistakes at Arsenal?

Arsenal's recent request to Barcelona that they stop their public pursuit of Cesc Fabregas was meant to bring to an end the speculation, but you wonder how long the patriotic Catalan will put up with such sub-standard performances.

Fabregas has publicly insisted his focus is firmly on Arsenal's fight to end their trophy drought since their FA Cup final win in 2005.

But he sounds increasingly exasperated as Arsenal fail to live up to his high expectations, as he made clear following the 2-1 defeat at Porto on Wednesday night.

'The other top teams don't make these mistakes as often as we do,' said Fabregas.

'Sometimes we make mistakes that at the top level you pay for and this is one of those nights.

'It happened against Chelsea and Man United and now again so I think we have to try to find the solution to these problems because it is costing us many, many things.'

Such words may have been born out of frustration that Arsenal, after the errors by keeper Lukasz Fabianski, left themselves needing a comeback against Porto at the Emirates on March 9.

But unless Arsene Wenger can find the solution to Arsenal's failure to deliver on the big occasions he may lose one of the world's best midfielders this summer.

Model professional: Cesc Fabregas takes part in Naomi Campbell's Fashion for Relief -Haiti show in London

Fabregas is often more frank about Arsenal's deficiencies than his manager. His refusal to criticise Swedish referee Martin Hansson for allowing the quick free-kick which led to Falcao's winner and his admission that he would have tried the same thing is a case in point.

But such is his loyalty to the manager who plucked him from
Barcelona's youth team as a 16-year-old and who has helped turn him
into one of the best players on the planet that the Catalan giants face
a fight to bring him back irrespective of whether he has blaugrana in
his DNA.

Fabregas will be the major factor in the elections for the
Barcelona presidency when Joan Laporta hands over the reins this
summer. Laporta's choice to succeed him is current vice-president
Alfons Godall, who wants to recapture Fabregas.

Should former vice-president Sandro Rosell win, rumours persist that he holds a first option for Fabregas in his back pocket.

Real Madrid could also outbid Barca with a £40million-plus offer.

Having a trophy in the cabinet by then would strengthen Arsenal's
ability to persuade their captain to reject the overtures from Spain.